Hope Within Despair
by Emcnary
Summary: As despair tears at her heart, Percival Graves' love clings to the hope that he will return. Round 2 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition


_My dearest Gwen,_

 _Our separation is harder to bear the longer we are apart. I find that my mind is not easily turned from thoughts of you, even when my responsibilities dictate otherwise. Know that I long to be with you, and am counting the days until Autumn break affords you time away from school. Until then, think of me often._

 _All my love,_

 _Percival_

 _._

 _My dearest Gwen,_

 _I apologize from the depths of my heart that my letters are fewer than they should be. My caseload has grown heavy these past weeks. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you the nature of what the Auror office is investigating, but know that every day my thoughts are with you, despite the demands of my job._

 _Our time together during your school break was brief but blissful. I know it must be enough to get me through until I see you again. That you have agreed to be mine forever strengthens my resolve to make it through until we can be together as man and wife._

 _All my love,_

 _Percival_

 _._

 _Dear Gwen_ ,

 _I understand your excitement, but don't you think it wise for us to put off announcing our engagement until after the holidays? Think it over, please._

 _Percival_

 _._

 _Gwen,_

 _My time for leisure is becoming less and less. Do not be surprised if your letters receive little response, as I don't anticipate having the time for correspondence._

 _Percival_

 _._

 _Gwen,_

 _Your demands are met with deaf ears, I'm afraid. My job and position within MACUSA are too important to jeopardize by leaving my investigations, even for a weekend._

 _Percival_

 _._

 _Gwen,_

 _Your presence in New York would be unappreciated, regardless of your worry for me. You would do well to occupy your thoughts with someone other than myself._

 _Percival_

 _._

A lone figure stood on the highest tower of the castle that housed the students of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Gwen Fisher stared, unseeing, at the beautiful scenery; mists and mountains intermingling to give an ethereal look to the grounds. Tears shone in the early morning light as they rolled unnoticed down her cheeks like tiny drops of pure anguish.

Clutched in her hand was a piece of parchment, the name Percival Graves scrawled across the front in dainty script. It was folded neatly and ready to be dispatched. Yet she couldn't bring herself to go through with tying the letter to the owl perched patiently on the wall, ready to carry her missive. Would the faithful owl be able to locate the man who occupied all of her waking thoughts?

 _Percival_

Even when teaching her young charges her beloved subject of Transfiguration—the broad points to the youngest students and the finer points to the older students—she was distracted, unable to focus fully on anything but the worry and heartache over the unknown whereabouts of the man she loved.

They were not supposed to be apart, not even for a day, for a day would have been too long. That's what they had said to each other at graduation. But the opportunities presented to both of them were too good to let pass. So they had parted. He went to New York to take a spot in the Auror training program, and she had stayed at Ilvermorny, having accepted the position of Assistant Transfiguration Professor that had been offered to her. Regardless of the unplanned separation, they had made it work. They had weathered being apart despite the misgivings of friends and family that had said separation was a hard circumstance to overcome.

They had continued to make plans for their future, even amidst their separation. Plans of marriage, plans of a home, plans of a family. Now, as she stood and watched the dazzling sight of the sun making its first appearance over the mountains, the dreams they'd shared of living their days together seemed like dissolving silhouettes of a life that would never be.

With a deep breath and shaking hands, Gwen let her fingers trail over the letters of the man's name written across the front as if she was tracing the contours of his face. She unfolded the parchment, telling herself she would read through her words one last time before finally sending it on its way.

 _My Dearest Percival,_

 _I am lost without you, my love. I must know where you are. Since Grindelwald's capture nearly a week ago, MACUSA will tell me nothing. Father says this means they know nothing about your whereabouts. I am hopeful that they are simply not yet willing to tell what they know._

 _I knew it wasn't you these last months during which our time together was so strained. I just knew it. Mother said our differences were due to our separation. But I knew in my heart it was something more. I will never forgive myself for my silence. I should have shouted my concerns to anyone who would listen. Instead, I waited, hoping things would return to the way they once were._

 _Now that the truth has been revealed, I am desperate to know what has happened to you. Hour by hour, I think of you, asking the same questions. Are you alive? Will you come back? Do you think of me? I have no way of knowing, and the unknown threatens to choke the very breath from my body._

 _I feel as though my heart has been locked away, hanging by the thinnest of threads and ready to break at the first word that you will not be returning to me. It is lonely here, with only my thoughts of you for company. Constant fears threaten to consume me. Not even the beauty and solitude of the mountains can ease my mind, for everywhere I turn, there are reminders of you. I walk through the Entrance Hall each morning and see the statue that first placed us together in the same House. It reminds me it was fate from the beginning, our lives being entwined. Even though we couldn't be together as often as we liked due to our responsibilities, I took comfort that you were there, waiting for the next time we would be reunited._

 _Now I don't know when, or even if, we will see each other again. Will it be days? Weeks? A lifetime? I feel that even a day is too long, although I know in my heart that I must wait longer. I will be waiting for you no matter how long, my dearest. Always._

 _I do not know whether this letter will reach you, but I want you to know that my thoughts are and will always be with you, my love._

 _Yours faithfully,_

 _Your loving fiancé_

Although terrified at the thought of sending the letter and having to bear the consequences of the news it would—or wouldn't—bring, Gwen folded the parchment with trembling fingers and attached it to the leg of the owl that remained by her side, steady as a sentry. As she watched the owl soar from view, she couldn't help the feeling of hope that flooded her body, filling her with faith that her letter would be in the hands of her beloved that very day, that he would be able to send word in some way that he was alive. Thinking anything different would be admitting that he was gone forever. Brushing the tears from her cheeks, Gwen vowed to never give up hope that he would return so that they might live out the life they'd dreamed of.

* * *

A/N: This is for round 2 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition.

Challenge: Where Are We Going? Use the location assigned to your position as the setting for your story. Chaser 3: Ilvermorny

Prompts: 4 image ( ), 6 (poem) Don't Go Far Off-Pablo Neruda, 11 (style) letter fic

Word count: 1261


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